Imperial Biscotti Break | Evil Twin Brewing
Brewed by:
Evil Twin Brewing
New York, United States
eviltwin.dk
Style: American Double / Imperial Stout
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 11.50%
Availability: Rotating
Notes / Commercial Description:
The Roman Empire had a certain "je ne sais quoi" - festive food culture, extravagant architecture, and spectacular live entertainment. Some might argue the Emperors were brutal, mad, and hungry for power, and the people vain when taking baths and working out all day. Listen - that's still all part of the secret Imperial ingredient - keep it cool, clean, confident, arrogant, and flamboyant. Forza Imperiale.
Added by BlackBelt5112203 on 04-12-2012
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers
Ratings: 4,409 | Reviews: 671
3.54/5 rDev -18.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
4.1/5 rDev -5.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.66/5 rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.26/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
3.75/5 rDev -13.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Lots of coffee upfront. Taste is funky on the backend. Not my favorite.
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look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Lots of coffee upfront. Taste is funky on the backend. Not my favorite.
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4.45/5 rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.75
Pours dark and a bit syrupy compared to standard beers. Smell is similar to most imperial coffee stouts, but the sweet almond and vanilla makes it stand out. Taste is exquisite, sweet, up front coffee, hints of almond, touch of vanilla, and maybe just a very fine touch of nutmeg? But still no mistaking the taste of a stout. Feel is almost a little too sticky, but no complaints given the other factors. Overall, absolutely fantastic, just be careful with that 11.5% ABV, drank this 16oz can after a 12oz Coppertail Nightswim porter and the ol head is a bit fuzzy
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look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.75
Pours dark and a bit syrupy compared to standard beers. Smell is similar to most imperial coffee stouts, but the sweet almond and vanilla makes it stand out. Taste is exquisite, sweet, up front coffee, hints of almond, touch of vanilla, and maybe just a very fine touch of nutmeg? But still no mistaking the taste of a stout. Feel is almost a little too sticky, but no complaints given the other factors. Overall, absolutely fantastic, just be careful with that 11.5% ABV, drank this 16oz can after a 12oz Coppertail Nightswim porter and the ol head is a bit fuzzy
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4.62/5 rDev +6.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
LOOKS: Black, looks quite viscous, with a finger of tan head that slowly recedes to a thin layer. Lacing oozes down the glass like lava.
AROMA: Coffee, big biscotti, dark chocolate, dark roasted malt, a spicy note like cinnamon, vanilla, and almonds. Definitely smells like a nice biscotti and a cup of Joe.
TASTE: I'm getting all the notes from the aroma. Alcohol is very well hidden. Really getting that spicy note as I continue to drink.
FEEL: Medium full bodied and creamy, average carbonation, drying on the very finish, a little sticky up front.
OVERALL: Superb sipper.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
LOOKS: Black, looks quite viscous, with a finger of tan head that slowly recedes to a thin layer. Lacing oozes down the glass like lava.
AROMA: Coffee, big biscotti, dark chocolate, dark roasted malt, a spicy note like cinnamon, vanilla, and almonds. Definitely smells like a nice biscotti and a cup of Joe.
TASTE: I'm getting all the notes from the aroma. Alcohol is very well hidden. Really getting that spicy note as I continue to drink.
FEEL: Medium full bodied and creamy, average carbonation, drying on the very finish, a little sticky up front.
OVERALL: Superb sipper.
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4.35/5 rDev +0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured from a 16 OZ can into a pint glass. The appearance is pitch black with a small brown head. The aroma is coffee and roasted malt. The tasted follows the nose with a sweet caramel addition.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured from a 16 OZ can into a pint glass. The appearance is pitch black with a small brown head. The aroma is coffee and roasted malt. The tasted follows the nose with a sweet caramel addition.
199 characters
4.2/5 rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
3.94/5 rDev -9.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
330mL bottle produced and bottled by Poppels Bryggeri, Sweden.
Pours black with tan head that dissipated pretty quickly.
Smells of roasted malt, coffee, a bit nutty.
Taste follows with roasted flavors, malts and coffee. Nutty notes and a somewhat artificial vanilla taste.
Medium bodied.
Overall a decent beer, I'll have to try the stateside version to compare.
361 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
330mL bottle produced and bottled by Poppels Bryggeri, Sweden.
Pours black with tan head that dissipated pretty quickly.
Smells of roasted malt, coffee, a bit nutty.
Taste follows with roasted flavors, malts and coffee. Nutty notes and a somewhat artificial vanilla taste.
Medium bodied.
Overall a decent beer, I'll have to try the stateside version to compare.
361 characters
4.43/5 rDev +2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.23/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
3.84/5 rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured into a tulip glass out of a 16 oz. can.
Look- Silky, oily, deep black with a very quickly dissipating, but great looking head.
Smell- The nose on this one surprised me, not a whole lot going on considering what I expected, that being said, it's certainly not bad, just a little light. I certainly get that full, doughy, bready aroma, coupled with a distinct booziness, almost fruity... similar to a brandy or cognac. Full of almonds.
Taste- This is where the beer really comes into its own for me, the alcohol comes through in a big way, but not off-putting. There's a distinct astringency, similar to the nose, but it couples and melds with the bold, roasted and coffee notes beautifully. Enjoying this beer with a few small pieces of dark chocolate brings to the forefront the vanilla and sweetness already present in the beer.
Feel- This is a distinct one, almost on the border between a liquor and a beer, the mouthfeel is thin, but not unrewarding. At the sip, it's thin and smooth, but the finish lingers long. On one hand, oily like a stout, on the other, dry like a scotch. Extremely rewarding, particularly if you are willing to allow the beer to warm a bit as you drink it. I started out at 50 degrees and finished at around 62, the mouthfeel continued to get better and better as I went.
Overall- This is an excellent beer, to me it seems to lie somewhere between a Barrel Aged Imperial and a standard Imperial Stout, the booziness coupled with the bold, dark flavors creates a wonderful drinking experience, especially if you sip it slowly and allow the beer to develop in your glass.
1,621 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured into a tulip glass out of a 16 oz. can.
Look- Silky, oily, deep black with a very quickly dissipating, but great looking head.
Smell- The nose on this one surprised me, not a whole lot going on considering what I expected, that being said, it's certainly not bad, just a little light. I certainly get that full, doughy, bready aroma, coupled with a distinct booziness, almost fruity... similar to a brandy or cognac. Full of almonds.
Taste- This is where the beer really comes into its own for me, the alcohol comes through in a big way, but not off-putting. There's a distinct astringency, similar to the nose, but it couples and melds with the bold, roasted and coffee notes beautifully. Enjoying this beer with a few small pieces of dark chocolate brings to the forefront the vanilla and sweetness already present in the beer.
Feel- This is a distinct one, almost on the border between a liquor and a beer, the mouthfeel is thin, but not unrewarding. At the sip, it's thin and smooth, but the finish lingers long. On one hand, oily like a stout, on the other, dry like a scotch. Extremely rewarding, particularly if you are willing to allow the beer to warm a bit as you drink it. I started out at 50 degrees and finished at around 62, the mouthfeel continued to get better and better as I went.
Overall- This is an excellent beer, to me it seems to lie somewhere between a Barrel Aged Imperial and a standard Imperial Stout, the booziness coupled with the bold, dark flavors creates a wonderful drinking experience, especially if you sip it slowly and allow the beer to develop in your glass.
1,621 characters
3.94/5 rDev -9.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.25/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.49/5 rDev +3.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A: Dark black with rich tan head and sticky lacing.
N: Chocolate, coffee, nuts, vanilla, and malt.
T: Follows the nose, very rich coffee flavors with a great chocolate/vanilla hit and a nutty finish.
M: Medium
O: This was a fantastic beer, I could drink this every day.
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look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
A: Dark black with rich tan head and sticky lacing.
N: Chocolate, coffee, nuts, vanilla, and malt.
T: Follows the nose, very rich coffee flavors with a great chocolate/vanilla hit and a nutty finish.
M: Medium
O: This was a fantastic beer, I could drink this every day.
272 characters
4.43/5 rDev +2.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
3.73/5 rDev -14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Purchase from the US. Served chilled into a chalice. Batch #016. 1 Pint can.
Appearance - Dark, very dark nearing engine oil black. A finger of fluffy dark tan head is poured, staying for some time and leaving behind a thin curtain of lacing. Obscures all light.
Smell - Wet coffee grounds, almonds and vanilla extract. Not a lot else, and the vanilla is a little too sweet for my liking.
Taste - Sweet initially, then some coffee shines through with some astringent prickliness. Almonds are a nice touch but the vanilla finishes quite sweet. Reminds me of Victory at Sea with extra vanilla sweetness and hints of almonds. Also not quite as good. Coffee is quite subdued all things considered. Not sure if this is a so called pastry stout, but at the very least would seem to straddle that line. Chocolate mixed in for good measure. Alcohol is not terribly well hidden although that's hard to do at 11.5% ABV. Bubblegum is something else that comes to mind with a fake banana flavor after repeated visits.
Mouthfeel - Astringent prickliness when the coffee flavor kicks in, otherwise, dense and chewy. Slick going down the gullet with some alcohol burn.
Overall - A pretty good big boy stout, wish there was a little more bitterness and less vanilla going on in Imperial Biscotti Break, but otherwise a tasty brew that I'm fortunate to have another 3 cans of. Considering the rep, I'm somewhat disappointed, but everyone has beers that they feel this way about.
1,467 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Purchase from the US. Served chilled into a chalice. Batch #016. 1 Pint can.
Appearance - Dark, very dark nearing engine oil black. A finger of fluffy dark tan head is poured, staying for some time and leaving behind a thin curtain of lacing. Obscures all light.
Smell - Wet coffee grounds, almonds and vanilla extract. Not a lot else, and the vanilla is a little too sweet for my liking.
Taste - Sweet initially, then some coffee shines through with some astringent prickliness. Almonds are a nice touch but the vanilla finishes quite sweet. Reminds me of Victory at Sea with extra vanilla sweetness and hints of almonds. Also not quite as good. Coffee is quite subdued all things considered. Not sure if this is a so called pastry stout, but at the very least would seem to straddle that line. Chocolate mixed in for good measure. Alcohol is not terribly well hidden although that's hard to do at 11.5% ABV. Bubblegum is something else that comes to mind with a fake banana flavor after repeated visits.
Mouthfeel - Astringent prickliness when the coffee flavor kicks in, otherwise, dense and chewy. Slick going down the gullet with some alcohol burn.
Overall - A pretty good big boy stout, wish there was a little more bitterness and less vanilla going on in Imperial Biscotti Break, but otherwise a tasty brew that I'm fortunate to have another 3 cans of. Considering the rep, I'm somewhat disappointed, but everyone has beers that they feel this way about.
1,467 characters
4.04/5 rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Pint can
Completely black. Looks dense and oily. Low carbonation. Head dissipates quickly.
Aroma: yes, there are almonds, vanilla (artificial), chocolate and lots of coffee.
Taste: follows the nose, and there's an artificial thing going on with this one at first sip. After that the coffee takes dominance and the whole gets better.
Mouthfeel: it's very easy drinking for a 11,5% beer. I think thats because of the artificial flavours that make the beer thinner. Aftertaste is a bit weird.
Overall: its a good beer, but too artificial for me to consider it as 'world class' like Jesus.
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look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Pint can
Completely black. Looks dense and oily. Low carbonation. Head dissipates quickly.
Aroma: yes, there are almonds, vanilla (artificial), chocolate and lots of coffee.
Taste: follows the nose, and there's an artificial thing going on with this one at first sip. After that the coffee takes dominance and the whole gets better.
Mouthfeel: it's very easy drinking for a 11,5% beer. I think thats because of the artificial flavours that make the beer thinner. Aftertaste is a bit weird.
Overall: its a good beer, but too artificial for me to consider it as 'world class' like Jesus.
590 characters
4.24/5 rDev -2.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Imperial Biscotti Break from Evil Twin Brewing
Beer rating:
4.34 out of
5 with
4,409 ratings
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